this post was submitted on 26 Aug 2023
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Actual answer: back in the day the sealant that farmers coated barns with often had iron oxide in it because it helps prevent rot and mold, and the iron oxide would turn the sealant mixture red. Now people just do it because it's a tradition.
It also happens to be cheap. Other pigments are hard to manufacture. Rust is easy.
Even today red paint is sometimes cheaper, especially when ordered in bulk.
Wait really red pigment is mainly rust? I'd imagine that would turn a orangish brown. Or brownish orange.
Itβs not mainly rust any more, they figured out a way to replicate the effect without using actual rust. Itβs just pigment, and now red is probably cheaper because more people buy it because itβs traditional.
Blood is also red due to iron for the sane reasons rust is red. Rust isn't very vibrant on metal for other reasons, I'd assume mostly because it's mixed with something not clear.
I'm not sure if this is why, bit the color depends on how oxidized each atom of iron becomes, so if you have a mix of different oxidation levels, you would also have a mix of the colors
Also seems to be the color that degrades in the sun the fastest
I thought red faded the fastest? It's always the first color to dissappear from advertisements in store windows. Also I remember hearing about people needing to get the red ink on their tattoos touched up after so many years though I think newer ink has improved
Fascinating. The more ya know.